One nerdy pastor's proclamation, examination and defense of the
Great Eucatastrophe.

Saturday, December 5, 2015

Advent Midweek Sermon: "Creation and Christ's Incarnation"

+ Advent Midweek Service 1 +

December
2nd, 2015

Redeemer
Lutheran, HB

The Creed and Christ’s Incarnation: The
Creator Became a Creature

Genesis 2;
Romans 5:12-17; John 1:1-14

First Article of the Creed and its explanation

In the
Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

What’s on
your Christmas list? I know the kids are done with their lists longer than the
IRS tax code. But really, don’t humble brag. We all have Christmas lists. What’s
on yours? If it’s anything like my Amazon wish list, it’s probably too long and
too full of books, gadgets, and other extraordinary gifts.

Yes, it’s
the season of gift-giving, or so the commercials tell us: Black Friday. Small
Business Saturday. Cyber Monday. Everyone’s looking for extraordinary deals.

God calls
us called to be good stewards in Advent even as the world calls us to buy more
stuff we don’t need with money we don’t have to impress people we don’t like. Of
course, gift giving can be a good thing, so long as the gifts don’t distract us
from God the giver of all things. Advent stands in stark contrast to the world
around us, calling us to live in our Baptism and daily drown that little
hoarder of an old Adam in each of us.

How
different Luther’s list sounds in the Small Catechism from the endless
commercials. Body. Soul. Eyes, ears, and all our members. Our reason and
senses. Clothing and shoes, meat and drink, house and home. It all sounds
rather simple, doesn’t it? Ordinary. And yet each thing – all we have for this
body and life is gift. And yet our sinful flesh yawns like a three year old: boooring.

But here
in the first article of the Creed we behold the mystery of Christ’s
incarnation. God hides his extraordinary, abundant mercy in the ordinary
earthly gifts of clothing and shoes, meat and drink, house and home. God takes
the ordinary stuff of his creation and fills it with his extraordinary,
extravagant, and endless love.

As St.
John declares to us: The Word became
flesh and dwelt among us.

Christ
the Creator became a creature to save you.

So, it’s
ok – in fact, it’s God-pleasing - to have an ordinary Christmas. Reminds me of
Tolkien’s words in the Hobbit: If all of
us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold the world would be a
merrier place. But more important than that:

Christ
the Creator became a creature to save you.

And he
did this in the most ordinary way imaginable.

The same Word
of God who spoke creation into existence with a simple “Let there be”, assumed
our human nature that he might create life out of the void and darkness of our
sin.

The same
Lord who formed Adam from the dust of the earth and breathed into his nostrils
the breath of life, was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, that
he would be flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone.

The same
Lord who promised a child to be born of a woman becomes that very child who
destroys the devil and sin and death for you.

God hides
his extravagant, extraordinary, abounding forgiveness in the fragile flesh of
an infant boy. He wraps his glory, power, steadfast love, and mercy in the humility
and humanity of Jesus. He is true God and true Man, extraordinary and yet
ordinary all at once.

So it is
with God’s creation. Clothing and shoes. Meat and drink. House and home.

Luther
lays out God’s gifts in creation like a never-ending Christmas list. Just as it
was for Adam and Eve, everything we have is gift from God.

And yet,
just like Adam and Eve we reject God’s gifts. We spurn his kindness. We think
he’s holding out on us. Yes, Adam’s flesh still dwells in each of us this side
of Eden. This Advent, we’re called to repent of taking God’s earthly provision
for us for granted. Repent of our thanklessness. Repent of our turning God’s
gifts into idols and worshipping the creature rather than the Creator. Repent of
looking for assurance, confidence, and trust in the extraordinary works of man
rather than in the ordinary gifts of God in Holy Baptism, Holy Absolution, his holy
Word, and Holy Supper.

For these
gifts are the way Jesus prepares us for his Advent. Repent and receive his
promises, ordinary though they may seem; they are full of his extraordinary forgiveness.

And
beware, the devil uses the same playbook on us that he did on Adam and Eve.

He lies,
deceives, and plants seeds of doubt. “Did God really say he would provide for
your bodily needs? Did God really say his Word and Baptism and Supper will
forgive you? Your sins are too great for that. Did God really say his Word is
all you need for your life and faith in his Church?” And on and on the devil’s
wish his list goes.

But it’s
all lies. Empty promises. And false hopes. Satan’s goal is to devour. Christ’s
is to deliver you. Jesus is born to rescue you.

Even God
has a Christmas list; and it’s a long list, full of countless names, written
before the foundation of the world. All who believe and are baptized are on
this list. Your names are written there. Each and every one of you are on his
list – not because you were nice instead of naughty – quite the opposite in
fact. Rather, you’re on the list because Christ the Creator became a creature
to save you. For in Christ you are a new creation, created out of the flesh of
Jesus your second Adam.

For you
are the reason Jesus is born. You are the reason for Jesus’ Advent in human
flesh, his Advent in glory, and his Advent now, as he comes to gives you
extraordinary forgiveness by his body and blood hidden in ordinary bread and
wine.

After
all, at Christmas we give gifts; and there’s no bigger giver than the Father.
He sends his Son to be born for you, to live for you, to overcome the devil for
you, to be obedient to the Law for you, to bear the punishment of sin for you,
to die for you, to rise for you, to give you everything he has.

God is the
greatest spendthrift all. God spares no expense. God gave us His only begotten
Son. And so the price and the gift are both paid and given to you by Jesus’
holy precious blood and his innocent suffering and death for you.

So that
we would receive earthly gifts of clothing and shoes, Jesus was born with two
feet like you, walked around Judea teaching and healing for you, and walked
those same feet to the cross for you where he was pierced for you. To clothe
you in his righteousness. To give you his life in exchange for your sin. How beautiful
are those infant feet that bear good news, even as they wiggle in swaddling
clothes.

So that
we would be fed and nourished by meat and drink, Jesus fasted in the
wilderness; Jesus overcame the devil’s temptation to disobey the Father; Jesus
ate and drank with sinners; Jesus broke bread for thousands; and gave his own
body and blood for us to eat and drink, that same body born of Mary is poured
out for you here in a different manger, wrapped in the swaddling clothes of
bread and wine.

So that
you would have a house and home on earth and in heaven, Jesus was born in a feeding
trough, lived in exile, had no place to rest his head save that of the virgin
tomb; Jesus visited the homes of sinners announcing salvation to their homes
and yet found no shelter from the storm of God’s wrath, all so that he would
prepare a place for you in your true home in that great country that calls us
further up and further in to his holiness, presence, and peace.

For all
of this…for each of you. The Creator became a creature to save you and all creation.

For it is
not under the tree, but hung upon it, that we see God’s most extraordinary gift
of all…Jesus crucified for you.

A blessed
Advent to you all.

In the
Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.